Brian Harman capped a seven-under par 63 with an eagle at his final hole Friday to seize a three-shot lead in the second round of the US PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
Harman, who has four top-10 finishes in four starts in the US tour’s 2017-18 season, teed off early at Waialae in Honolulu, and opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th.
His six birdies on the day included three in a row at the second, third and fourth and he rolled in a 17-footer at the par-five ninth for an eagle that gave him a 13-under total of 127.
“I’m making putts, but I’m also putting myself in position to make those putts,” Harman said. “I’m getting a bunch of looks. I’m not making everything I’m looking at, but I’m hitting a lot of good putts and made a few.”
Overnight co-leaders Chris Kirk and Zach Johnson were in a group sharing second place on 10-under par 130.
Kirk gave chase in the afternoon, opening his round with an eagle at the 10th hole and closing within one stroke before settling for a three-under 67 that concluded with a bogey at the par-five ninth.
“Definitely an up and down day,” Kirk said. “A few loose swings towards the end, unfortunately, but a lot of really good ones as well.”
By then, two-time major winner Johnson was in the clubhouse after a 67 that included three birdies and an eagle at the ninth. John Peterson, Tom Hoge and Talor Gooch were also 10-under.
Peterson opened with four straight birdies then picked up two more at seven and nine to make the turn at six-under then had two birdies and two bogeys coming in to sign for a 64.
Hoge closed with four straight birdies in a 65 and PGA Tour rookie Gooch had six birdies in his four-under 66.
Harman, who won his second career title at the Wells Fargo Championship last season, is trying to build on a third-place finish at last week’s Tournament of Champions, where he led at the halfway stage but was overtaken by world number one Dustin Johnson.
He’s also aiming to put himself in line for berth on the US team for the Ryder Cup in France, after missing out on a Presidents Cup spot last year.
“I was disappointed I didn’t make the Presidents Cup team. That one definitely stung,” he said. “But I’ll use that going forward. That’s definitely motivation.” (AFP)
